Quote Originally Posted by Osiris View Post
WRONG. Burt fired the first shot [first introduction of Scratch and Latch, showing the two that there was only way of reasoning with the residents: with force] of the conflict between forces. This is canon and cannot be disputed. Pegs may have been defending herself from an act of aggression, but that act would likely have never taken place had the tanker not been stolen from the mallers in the first place. Either side of the coin you flip to, murder is still murder. Yes, I am clearly ignoring everything Scratch has done in the past. Fanboys do that. Deal.
I said the War. Not the overall conflict. Burt fired the first shot in the overall conflict between the Tower and the Mallers. The War is accepted as the contents of Chapter 12. Hence why the chapter is called "The War."

The stolen property is what caused the conflict, not Burt's dead eye shot on the mirror. And the shot was taken only after an acceptable trade could not be established for the release of the Tanker. Had Burt killed Latch or Scratch and leaving the other alive to go back to the Mallers would fulfill your scenario of Burt's shot causing the escalation by using only force. Remember, the only part of this story that Durai knows is the theft because Scratch lied to him and pinned it on Charlie. The only thing that matters to Durai (other than wanting the Tower to live in) is the theft.